New “ACORN” Names— Same Old Jail Terms

In the past we reported that ACORN changed its name in poorly masked attempt to shake off the “bad image” it earned through the embezzlement stories, the voter fraud and of course the amazing efforts of the Team of Hannah Giles/James O’Keefe.

ACORN’s announcement of “bringing its operations to a close” this past April fools day was just another deceptive tactic designed to take the pressure off so they can continue their scheme of using public dollars and private donations to advance their radical progressive agenda.

The proof of the pudding is that even though ACORN renamed many of its state and local offices they kept the same employees and Tax Identification Numbers. For example, Affordable Housing Centers of America was formerly ACORN Housing. The new corporation has the same Tax Identification Number and Employee Identification Number as ACORN Housing, which received millions of dollars in funding from HUD.

No matter what they are calling themselves these days, ACORN has developed quite the “rap sheet.” So far this year, at least 18 former workers have admitted guilt or been convicted on varying charges of election fraud.

But the group is still facing charges in Nevada on conspiracy to commit the crime of compensation for registration of voters.The trial, originally scheduled to begin Monday, has been postponed likely until next year.

Former workers across the country already are being punished for their criminal activities.

In Miami, seven former ACORN voter registration canvassers were convicted of “false swearing-in an election,” and sentenced to probation and community service and banned from participating in future political campaigns, according to court documents.

In Pennsylvania, six of seven former ACORN workers who were charged in an investigation were convicted of unsworn falsification and interference with election officials. Four have reached a plea agreement on reduced charges and will serve two years of probation. Cases against two others who entered pleas to reduced charges are pending.

Charges against the seventh, Eric Jordan, are not being prosecuted because Jordan has pleaded guilty to much more serious charges, including aggravated assault, resisting arrest and carrying firearms without a license.

In Milwaukee, three former ACORN workers have been convicted of election fraud.

Last week, Kevin Clancy was sentenced to 10 months in prison for his role in submitting falsified voter registration forms before the 2008 election. Clancy will start his sentence once he finishes another sentence he is currently serving for armed robbery.

Clancy’s co-worker, Maria Miles, who pleaded guilty to election fraud in August, will be sentenced on Dec. 6.

In September, Frank Walton pleaded guilty to submitting 54 fake voter registrations during the 2008 presidential campaign. He faces up to 42 months in prison and a $10,000 fine when he’s sentenced Dec. 6.

In Washington state, Kendra Lynn Thill was convicted in March of voter registration fraud in the 2006 midterm election. In Nevada, a former ACORN supervisor pleaded the equivalent of a no-contest in a case alleging that canvassers were illegally paid to register voters during the 2008 campaign. But while Amy Busefink’s plea acknowledges the state had evidence for a conviction at trial, her lawyer said she still plans to challenge the constitutionality of the state law prohibiting paying canvassers based on the number of voter registration forms they turn in.

All of those cases are local prosecutions, but ACORN’s crimes are country-wide, there will not be a federal investigation.The FBI and Department of Justice opened an investigation and gathered some evidence. But Obama Justice Department, had to protect the President’s buddies. While noting that ACORN had engaged in “questionable hiring and training practices,” closed down the investigation in March 2009, claiming ACORN broke no laws.

By contrast, the documents also include records related to a federal investigation of ACORN corruption in St. Louis, Missouri, involving 1,492 allegedly fraudulent voter registration cards submitted by Project Vote, a liberal non-profit organization affiliated with ACORN on voter registration drives, during the 2006 election season. Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith initiated the investigation with “concurrence” from the Department of Justice and the participation of the FBI. According to a Justice Department memo, Goldsmith “advised he would prosecute any individual responsible for submitting fraudulent voter registration cards.” Goldsmith identified the statute for prosecution: Title 42, USC 1973 (gg), which provides for criminal penalties for fraudulent voter registrations. In April 2008, eight former ACORN employees from the St. Louis office plead guilty to voter registration fraud.

Like other moves by the Obama Justice Department, the dropping of the federal case proves that there are two sets of rules one for the friends of the President, like the New Black Panthers and ACORN and one for the rest of us.

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